


The Theory of Parallel Intersection

by freakingfreak



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - College/University, Best Friends, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 06:43:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16383263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freakingfreak/pseuds/freakingfreak
Summary: of Mark finally meeting Yukhei's path after spending their whole lives next to each other





	The Theory of Parallel Intersection

 

 

> _"parallel lines are two lines in a plane that do not intersect or touch each other at any point"_
> 
>  

 

Mark sat in his Geometry class speculating if it were even worth it waking up this early to attend this lesson. As a freshman in college, Mark expected a lot more than parallel and intersecting lines. Things have been bland enough for another one of these hence Mark raising his hand, much to some students' chagrin, whispers of him prolonging their agony reaching Mark's ears.

 

"Yes, Mr. Lee?"

 

"Miss, do parallel lines really not meet? at all? not in any system?" Mark never talked in this class. He always sat in the corner of the room and not talk to any of the other students. So far, Mark has only made one friend in the university, Kim Yerim, whom he shares most of his classes with, except Geometry. Normally, Mark would be silently listening, sometimes even sleeping, until the clock ticks 10:00.

 

"Why, yes, I believe so, Mr. Lee. Parallel lines never meet in a plain unless-"

 

"What about in the non-Euclidean geometry?"

 

"-unless we consider non-Euclidean geometry is what I was about to say. You're right, Mr. Lee."

 

Mark was aware of the stares of the other students directed at him. Some of annoyance. Some of sheer amusement. Some look just like they're contemplating if Mark is a genius or just a weirdo.

 

"This topic is way out of our course outline but just to answer Mr. Lee's question, yes parallel lines meet in a non-Euclidean geometry. It is theorized here that parallel lines can intersect. Take a sphere for example or a globe to be specific. Like any other coordinate planes, it has horizontal lines and vertical lines all over. If we follow two parallel lines on the equator and trace it up to a pole, does not matter if the north one or the south one, they will meet. And once again separate ways, for a very long while, before they meet again on the other pole."

 

Mark stopped listening after that point though the professor continued discussing the topic he haphazardly opened. Mark felt a guilty about it however the irritating feeling that suddenly came to him just wouldn't stop bugging him.

 

\-----

 

"Hey baby! How was your class?" Yerim walked up to Mark where he was seated in the cafeteria and kissed him on the cheek. Yerim occupied the seat opposite to Mark.

 

"Yerim, I'm literally the gayest person you know. You gotta stop doing that, you're not fooling anybody," Mark said, wiping his cheek with a paper towel.

 

"Boo you Mark! I'm literally the only person you talk to in uni. No one else knows how gay you are." Mark scanned the crowd of university students in the cafeteria. Many familiar faces that he has seen around but none of them has he actually talked to before.

 

"I don't really care though. I'm out and about. I'm not hiding it from anybody." And it's true. Mark had a hard time coming out when he was younger, why should he hide it now?

 

"Oooooh, so you wouldn't mind if I do this?"

 

"What 'this'?" Yerim clapped her hands above her head to call the attention of the people in the cafeteria.

 

"Y'all! My openly gay friend right here, Mark Lee, freshman, chemical engineering, says he needs some dicking! Approach us for deetz." Mark wondered why he's friends with Yerim, of all the people he could have the misfortune of befriending as he pulled his hoodie over his head and covering his whole face as well with only his nose peeking out. From that hole, Mark could see Yerim laughing manically like the lunatic she is. Mark noticed some guys from the football team actually taking Yerim's dumbass seriously and checking him out. He even heard some whistling from somewhere at the back.

 

"Bitch you're getting these hands I swear I'm gonna fuck you up so bad."

 

"Maaark, I thought we just announced you're gay?"

 

Mark grew mortified at Yerim's reply.  _This bitch actually had the audacity to act sexualized. The nerve!_

 

"Ew! Go away you hoe! Disgusting!" Mark reached for the crumpled tissue papers and threw them at Yerim who just laughed even louder and more hysterically. "You dirty woman can no longer come close to me. I'm migrating to somewhere you can not reach me." Mark put his arms around himself protectively. He should have known staying within a predatory hetero woman's reach would put him in danger.

 

"Hmmm... okay! Then I get to have Yukhei all to myself, nice!"  _The audacity of this she-devil_

 

 

Yukhei probably is the reason why Yerim and Mark are friends. Yerim mentioned to Mark on their first meeting about Seoul School of Performing Arts' new rising star, the hottie Wong Yukhei whom she found out to be of the same age as her and was her new crush at that time. Mark, who has then chewing a gum, choked on the gum he was chewing while doubling over with laughter. He couldn't believe his ears. He didn't think his best friend would gain this much popularity in such a short time.

The two of them talked about Yukhei for the rest of the day. Mark told Yerim stories of his high school memories with Yukhei and the embarrassing things Yukhei would never want to be out in the world. Thinking back to those times, Mark could not comprehend how Yukhei was this popular now. But in retrospect, Mark should have expected it at least, given Yukhei's ulzzang status form way back middle school and all his modelling experience.

 

"You will not touch Yukhei. Never in this lifetime. Over my drop-dead, hot body." Mark threw his hoodie back, leaned over the table, and pointed his plastic fork at Yerim. Yerim raised her hands beside her head.

 

"Woah calm your horses lover boy, I was just kidding. I won't take your boyfriend without your consent." Yerim flicked Mark's fork away. Mark tried so hard to ignore Yerim's annoying teasing eyes.

 

"Again, not my boyfriend. But I will never let you touch my best friend I tell you time and time again, Kim Yerim."

 

"Yeah, right. There goes Mark Lee pulling the best friend card once again! What are you? Boo Boo the Fool? Best friend my ass." Mark wanted nothing more than to erase the stupid smirk on Yerim's face.  _Yerim and her crazy antics are so annoying._

 

 _It couldn't be, right?_ Mark thought. He couldn't possibly be in love with Yukhei. The boy literally ate Mark's dog's poop when they were four years old. Mark could still remember Yukhei's snot and tear-stained face as he bawled while holding Mark's hand when Mark came out to his parents. Yukhei and he has been beside each other since forever, of Mark loves him, but in that way. It couldn't be.  _Right?_ Right.

 

"Stop pushing it. It's not gonna happen. Yukhei and I grew-"

 

"Grew up together. I've seen all of his disgusting habits. I can never like him. blah blah blah Do you really believe that, Mark?"

 

"Yes, because it's true!" Yerim threw her hands in the air exasperatedly. Yerim, as much as she wanted to slap her friend out of reverie, maybe to hopefully refresh his mind, just gave Mark an obviously sarcastic smile.

 

"Whatever Yerim, I told you it's not gonna happen. I don't like him that way." Yerim eyed Mark's fiddling fingers on the table. It was, she figured, Mark's unconscious habit when he's terribly nervous.

 

"Oh yes, Mark. And I'm the queen of the world."

 

\-----

 

Mark was about to doze off when his mother screamed his name from downstairs. Being the good son he is, Mark stood up from the bed and went to where his mom is, but not before mumbling a long groan of exhaustion.

 

"Mom, it's 2 AM why are you even cooking?" Mark asked his mom, his eye half-closed, while leaning on the threshold bars. Mark just finished studying for his final exams that will be in 5 hours. He had every single minute planned to make it out of the day well and alive. This wasn't in the plan though. Mark did not expect his mother to be cooking at this ungodly hour.

 

"Baby, it's Yukhei's brother's birthday. You haven't forgotten we're going to their place later this evening right? I expect Yukhei to be back home so of course I'm preparing a buffet. That kid Can Eat." Maybe it was his hectic schedule. Maybe it was his hazy state of mind. Or maybe he just really forgot about it. Mark remembered about the celebration but he forgot about Yukhei's arrival.

 

_Has it really been that long since he left?_

If he were to tell 15-year-old that one day, in the near future, he and Yukhei would go their separate ways, little Mark would probably laugh at his face. Because he and Yukhei were inseparable. There was no waking moment in their lives that they weren't anticipating to meet each other during the day. The two of them grew up next to each other it's almost unbelievable that Mark forgot about this even though he was quite sure Yukhei mentioned it last week when they were facetiming. 

 

"Oh yeah, right. No I didn't forget. It's just... Yukhei's arrival. That feels odd, ain't it?"

 

"Odd? Why would it be?" His mom turned around to look at Mark with a soft smile on her face. Mark tried to return the smile. He really tried but maybe his mom knew better. "Are you two not in good terms? Oh my god, have you two broken up?" Mark raised his head in surprise to be welcomed with his mom's shocked face, her eyes tearing up, hands covering her mouth.

 

"Mom. Yukhei and I are not together." Mark incredulously told his mom, emphasis on 'not together'. 

 

"W-WHAT? You two are NOT together?! But-We thought-"

 

"We? Who are 'We'?" Mark

 

"EVERYONE. Your dad. Your brother. Yukhei's whole family. Even Granny Susan from down the street. You were crying so much while holding onto him tightly before his father drove him to his apartment." Mark's mom said as a matter of a fact, as he all this revelation is not mind-blowing at all.

 

"And how did you even know he's bi?" As far as he knows, Yukhei only came out to his family and to, well of course, Mark.

 

"He's bi? I thought you two are very much gay and in love!"

 

"MOM, WE'RE NOT IN LOVE!" Mark didn't mean to shout but all these just got the best of his barely there sanity his 2AM brain could provide.

 

"Oh no. Honey. Is this- Are you one-sidedly in love with Yukhei?" His mom looked at him sadly, her manner hand raised in mid-air, traces of the marinade sauce still at the tips of her fingers. Mark looked his mom in the eye, which were both so red and so close to spilling tears.

 

"I'm telling you, Mom, I'm in love with him. We're best friends. I don't intend to change it. Not tonight. Not anytime soon. Never." He was sure it was the sleep deprivation that was causing it, so he just apologized and excused himself to bed when he felt a heavy drop in his stomach. Mark was busy enough for the day without catching any illness, he could not possibly visit a doctor anytime soon.

 

\-----

 

Mark was confident when he told Yerim and his mom he wasn't in love with Yukhei. He was too sure of their friendship that he did not need to worry about any of it.

 

Except that he  _is_ worrying about what they were all telling him. Mark tried to ignore the nagging voice inside his head telling him to consider what the girls were telling him. Finals having him preoccupied actually helped him in compartmentalizing and keeping the thought at the bottom of his worries. But now that all his exams were done and he now stood inside the Wong residence, expecting Yukhei's arrival that could be in any minute, Mark could now feel his cold hands and his pounding heart.

 

_Can I, actually, positively, be in love with my best friend?_

 

Mark excused himself and went upstairs saying he needed to pee. Mark turned to the right though where Yukhei's room is. He had been here countless times before he didn't need Yukhei to tell him where he hid his bourbon. In fact, it was Mark's idea to hide alcohol in Yukhei's room. Mark was glad 12-year-old Mark and Yukhei thought of themselves as potential Sherlocks and made a secret compartment inside Yukhei's cabinet.

Maybe a little buzz would help calm his nerves. He opened Yukhei's cabinet to look for the hidden stash. Unlike the usual pile of mess at the bottom of the cabinet, all of Yukhei's clothes were hanged, color-coordinated even. Yukhei's mom probably arranged all this. Yukhei would never, in his entire life, have the ability to fix his cabinet. Mark could still hear Yukhei in his head.  _What for? I will still drop everything down there either way._

 

Mark looked back down and saw scattered photos of him and Yukhei from different ages. One was a developed photo from when they were 5. It was Christmas and they were wearing matching Christmas outfits given by their Kindergarten teacher. Mark smiled at the sight of baby Mark and Yukhei, although he remembered little of those days. The next photo was a blurry photo of kid Yukhei grasping the sides of the teacup ride. This one, Mark remembered clearly. He chuckled as he remembered taking this photo with his flip phone back in fifth grade when their school went to an amusement park. Yukhei was getting so dizzy he actually puked after the photo was snapped. Too bad, Mark's phone memory was full though. The next photo was of Mark, from the same day and same ride, holding his flip phone up in front of his face while documenting Yukhei's embarrassing ass.

 

Mark was deeply engrossed in reminiscing the past, laughing at the multiple photos of Yukhei being his usual embarrassing self. In fact, too engrossed to notice Yukhei standing by the door frame and watching him throw his head back in laughter and listening to his little giggles.

 

"Hey, love." Yukhei hugged Mark from behind and kissed Mark on the cheek. The photos fell from Mark's hands out of his surprise.

 

"Holy crap, Yukhei. How long have you been here?" Mark twisted from where he was standing, Yukhei's arms never leaving him. Yukhei leaned in to press his lips to Mark's forehead.

 

"Not for long." Yukhei mumbled against him. Even Mark he would be lying if he were to say the gesture didn't make his heart do double, triple jumps.

 

"Lies," Mark reprimanded Yukhei as he leaned his head on Yukhei's chest. He missed this. Having Yukhei embracing him, the two of them just standing together, not minding anything. Well, at least back then, Mark did not mind any of it. But it's quite different now, especially after the recent attacks from Yerim and now his mom. Mark considered not telling Yukhei, but who else would understand him best if not Yukhei? Yukhei could understand Mark even when Mark himslef could not understand himself.

"Hey, I need to talk to you." Mark mumbled quietly he wasn't sure Yukhei even heard it. Fortunately, it's what Yukhei does best - listen to Mark. Yukhei sat Mark on edge of his bed and pulled a chair for himself.

 

"What is it that you wish to discuss with me, Your Highness?" Yukhei held his hand out like a king's servant.

 

"Bitch, be serious." Mark slapped Yukhei's hand away. Yukhei just laughed and apologized but not without commenting about Mark's cuteness which, yes, made Mark blush like a high school girl. Yerim would've judged him so hard if she were here. "Anyway... here's the thing. Um... I recently learned that... uh... my mom thought we were a couple. LIke a real couple, not just a couple of dumbasses."

 

Yukhei watched Mark trip over his words. He knew Mark could never handle serious situations for the life of him. Mark looked so cute trying to communicate his emotionally constipated ass out. Like a baby trying to speak his first words.

 

"I love you." Mark, if he didn’t know better, would have stopped breathing then and there and cried after hearing Yukhei say those words. Except that Yukhei has been dropping these random “I love you”s to him ever since he can remember.

 

”Yeah and I love you too. So as I was saying—“

 

”I love you,” Yukhei repeated, a small, sweet smile adorning his face. Something different from his usual wide boyish grin or his occasional flirty smirk.

 

”Yes, Yukhei and I said I love you too. Anyway—“

 

”No Mark, I’m telling you I love you.  I love you, Mark Lee. I always have. You know I never asked you to love me back. I know you love me too and that’s enough for me. I didn’t need you to feel the same. But really, I’ve been confessing to you all my life. In fact I just confessed again to you thrice just now.” Yukhei let out a little airy laugh and Mark could just stare at his mouth, speaking those words he didn’t expect to hear tonight. He came here in need of a best friend that would listen to him and Mark thought he might just leave tonight with a boyfriend.

”I’ve always watched you walk beside me, Mark. And I appreciate really, you always keeping up with my unstable pace— catching up or waiting for me when all I really wanted is to meet you. Even if it’s not in the middle. I’ve loved you long enough for the both of us already.”

 

Mark was never good with words, something Yukhei did so well. _This foul gigantic dumbass,_ Mark thought as he threw his arms around Yukhei’s shoulders, his head hidden on the crook of Yukhei’s neck.

 

”You fucking idiot. You should’ve told me long ago directly. You know I’m dumb. I would never realize it even if my life depended on it,” Mark sulked, hiding his face deeper. Yukhei cradled Mark ever so delicately, careful not to cause any discomfort to the younger in his arm, as if the world would crumble down if Mark were to get hurt even a little, and in a way maybe it would. Mark was Yukhei’s world anyway.

 

”I want to kiss you right now. But I promised myself I would not until we’re boyfriends.” Mark didn’t know if he wanted to punch Yukhei first or to cry. Yukhei’s been too much for his poor heart.

 

“I hate that I love your stupid ass so much too.” Mark detached himself from Yukhei to hold his face between his hands and look him straight in the eyes. Mark was relieved he wasn’t the only one quivering in anxiety. Mark could see past Yukhei’s composure facade. He figured, from the way Yukhei’s eyes were glistening, that the older was just as nervous as he was.

“Oh my god, what have I ever done to deserve you?” Mark felt his tears drop to his cheeks as Yukhei’s plump lips touched his.

 _God, I love this man so much._ A sudden surge of delight washed over Mark eliciting a deep exhale out of him which Yukhei, of course, found adorable, smiling into the kiss.


End file.
